Laying the Ghost

Why does an old boyfriend seem so much more attractive when you haven't seen him for years?
When Nell was a student, she and Patrick were a serious item. They were inseparable, and she really thought he was The One. But then Alex came along -- the safer, more restful option, and thanks to her over-controlling mother she opted for him instead.
Now nothing is going right. Alex has left her to live in New York with a younger, blonder woman. Escaping to the Caribbean for a recuperative holiday, she is mugged at Gatwick airport and her bag is stolen. It's crisis time, and she makes two decisions.
First -- she will take lessons in self-defense.
Second -- she will try and find Patrick again.
Is Nell trying to put the past behind her -- or setting out to ruin her future? "From the Trade Paperback edition."